How Oddsmakers View Celtics’ Chances Of Acquiring Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard appears to be the next domino piece in the NBA offseason, and the All-NBA guard holds all the cards.

Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, had his list of Eastern Conference teams he’d rather play for than the Celtics, but the Trail Blazers star doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so Boston still could swoop in despite the lack of interest.

Portland drafted Scoot Henderson with the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night, giving the Blazers a stacked backcourt of Lillard, Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Henderson could be seen as a potential replacement for Lillard, but general manager Joe Cronin told reporters after the draft the team is committed to Lillard and building a winning team around him.

Lillard has not had any communication with the team about the draft or free agency, according to Turner Sports’ Chris Haynes. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed on “Get Up” on Thursday that teams are “preparing offers” for the All-Star guard if he were to become available. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski told Scott Van Pelt on “SportsCenter” the Blazers have no desire to trade Lillard. Woj reported Portland has been getting phone calls in “recent weeks,” but those talks were “immediately shut down.”

If Lillard wanted to leave, Wojnarowski believed Portland would do its part in getting the best deal done.

DraftKings Sportsbook has an offseason listing of next-team odds that includes players like Dillon Brooks, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving. The Celtics don’t have the best chances at landing those players, but they had the sixth-shortest odds for acquiring Lillard.

Here are the top six teams to be the next team Lillard plays for in the 2023-24 season.

Portland Trail Blazers: -175
Miami Heat: +110
Philadelphia 76ers: +1200
New Orleans Pelicans: +1500
Brooklyn Nets: +1800
Boston Celtics: +2000

Oddsmakers view this as a two-team race between Portland and Miami, and Boston has a long-shot case. A $100 bet on 20-1 odds would pay out $2,100, and a potential trade would depend on the Trail Blazers’ goals.

The Celtics could sign and trade Grant Williams and ship off a combination of players like Malcolm Brogdon or Payton Pritchard. Reports on Brogdon’s health are mixed, with his forearm injury potentially more serious than initially believed or a fixable issue if the veteran gets surgery.

Boston reportedly is “far from done” making moves after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards and sending Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. A lead ballhandler would be needed to complete the team, and concerns about the effect of Smart’s loss would diminish if Lillard is shipped to Beantown.

All told, Lillard has yet to approach the Trail Blazers front office about a trade request. And until that happens, Lillard is staying in Portland.